AUSSIE POLICE, RCMP UNITE TO BUST SYNDICATE

Ongoing Investigation

RCMP are working with Australian police to help bust an international
drug-smuggling syndicate.

Australian police and customs agents in Queensland this week found
$30 million in cocaine and $3 million in ecstasy pills hidden in 33
of 420 monitors inside a container that sailed from Deltaport.

Five Canadians were arrested along with one Australian.

Meanwhile, the RCMP, who helped with the original arrests, are
continuing the investigation here.

"They are working on the other end as we speak," said Australian
federal agent Mike Phelan, speaking on Global BC last night.

"There is a possibility of further action being taken in Canada."

Four suspects, [Name redacted], 29, [Name redacted], 36, [Name
redacted], 39, and [Name redacted], 25, are all thought to be from
Abbotsford.

A fifth man, [Name redacted], 27, is also from Canada.

"We are extremely confident [we have] closed down a very significant
international crime syndicate," Phelan said.

The seizure was the latest of several drug shipments from Canada to
Australia in the past year.

Police told court that [Name redacted], helped pack the shipment in
B.C. before flying to Australia. [Name redacted], lawyer said his
client was in the country on a private holiday.

Customs officers in Australia said the drugs were detected Sept. 8.
The pallets were unloaded and X-rayed, then an inert substance was
substituted for the drugs and the suspects were followed.

Court was told that [Name redacted], visited a "spyware" shop in
Brisbane with another accused to buy a radio-frequency detector to
use on the container after it arrived in Brisbane.

Police said [Name redacted], fearing the shipment had been tampered
with, wanted to know if surveillance equipment had been installed.

All five Canadians will appear in court in November.

In June, 1.2 million ecstasy tablets from Canada were seized in Melbourne.

In May, Canadian Mehdi Mohammadi was sentenced to 14 years for trying
to smuggle $1 million worth of methamphetamine into Australia in July 2005.

Also in July 2005, Korean police arrested 45 people in a
drug-smuggling ring they said was recruiting Korean English-language
students in Vancouver to act as "mules."

The ring, which allegedly operated for 10 months into Japan,
Australia and Korea, was accused of smuggling 50 kilograms of meth
and 30 of cocaine during its operations.